Outis

Outis (2009)Webcam, custom software, custom controllers

Outis is a audio-visual performance in which the video signal controls the sound. A live camera is used as an input signal. Moving the camera position and manipulating the video stream have a requisite affect on the sound output. In this way, the video behaves like a musical score.

The piece gets its name from the Greek word for "nobody," a reference to the story of Polyphemus, a cyclops, who is blinded by Odysseus as he escapes captivity by the giant, one-eyed being. Outis is based on a loose narrative about an ancient artificial intelligence system that hallucinates being surrounded by enemies.